No, but I'll give you the easiest, tried-and-true method (thousands of times!) - newspaper and Scotch tape, roll them up into a tube, and tape.

You can use this method on cuttings and whole plants - just remove the soil (assuming you haven't watered it - if you have, wait for the soil to dry before separation).

{{gwi:564231}}

You said shipping plants, too, so now that you've packaged the plant, put it / them in an appropriately sized box, making up any empty space with wadded newspaper sheets, and sign, seal and deliver.

Shipping plants is not rocket science. I was going to include pictures, but who wants to see my boring pictures! If you've ever watched someone wrap meat in a grocery store, you can ship plants. Start with a piece of newspaper of suitable size for your plant. Give yourself lots of room and place the paper with a point of the paper towards you. Place the plant at this end and roll it over once. Now fold each of the ends, left and right, into the center and finish rolling your plant. I like to use masking tape to seal the package and I always place the tape on the package so when it is removed, the paper opens. It is also nice (helpful) to fold over the lead end of the tape so the recipient has an easier go of unwrapping the package. If you are not sending the plant bare root, take a piece of paper towel and roll it tightly into a "rope" and place it around the stem of the plant like a "collar" completely covering the soil. Now tape this in place, again folding one end of the tape to facilitate removal. Also, if you are sending plant(s) with very "tender" roots, you may want to wrap them, not the body of the plant, with a piece of barely damp paper towel and plastic wrap around that before placing it in the newspaper.

OK, now you have your plant(s) wrapped. The post office has free Priority Mail boxes. Make sure you READ the box because there are two kinds: Flat Rate and Regular. This is important because the postal rates are different! The break even weight is about 11 pounds; under this weigh, regular Priority Mail is less costly. If you don't want to send your package using Priority mail, you'll have to find a "plain brown box." There are situations when Regular 1st Class mail is much less than any Priority Mail pricing. I use both wadded up newspaper and/or Styrofoam peanuts to cushion the plants; you want them to fit reasonably snug in the closed box.

Now you're ready to post your package. Of course you could hand write your label and run up to the post office where they will be glad to affix the postage. OR, you can register for USPS free online Priority Mail software. This allows you to enter your demographic information, the recipient's information, pay a reduced postal rate online and print the label. You can even have the package picked up for free at your location! I use self-stick labels designed for this purpose because they are cheap and make my life much easier; also available through the post office or other places online.

The post office offers another method that allows you to do the same thing but without the postage. This is designed for a package under a pound. This is because the "break even" weight between the cost of Regular First Class mail and Priority Mail is about a pound, plus or minus. Your package will arrive in about the same amount of time. You can download the software for free from the USPS website. Of course you will need a scale to weigh your package, if you affix the postage at home. The software will calculate your postage to its destination. Then you can just place it in your mail box and away it will go!

What's nice about either of these methods, is you have a tracking number which you can provide to the recipient and you will know when your package has been delivered.

Any questions? The test tomorrow will cover most of these items, so be prepared! Don't forget to bring two #2 lead pencils.

cactusmcharris-that is exactly what I was looking for...the newspaper thing ty :-)

bikerdoc- No more tests please...finals week is coming up lol Lots of good info there! ty :-)

Do either of you have any specific tips on thanksgiving cactus? I will be sending roughly 6 starts that are one to two segments long. The roots have developed, but aren't very large.

For something like that, I would wrap the roots in moist paper towel and plastic wrap, then newspaper. Assuming you are sending all six to the same person, they won't take up much space so find a small narrow box and send it Regular First Class mail, it will be your least costly method and will arrive at its destination in about the same number of days as Priority Mail. Depending on the total weight and distance from you to the recipient, won't cost more than $3.00

I've never grown one, so I can't say, but I myself would be extremely reluctant to send anything wet, particularly with the double protection Howard suggests. However, if's it as fast as he says it is (and there's no reason to think it isn't) I suppose the roots / segments will be in better shape staying damp, the sending of wet plants being anathema to me.

Well I'd answered on the thread the OP mentioned above, but to add something here. My own experience is mostly w/ succulents, sent dry in newspaper as suggested.

However, I just received a 1/2 dozen CC cuttings given to me dry. The person who grew them said he'd set a whole bunch of them aside for a month & forgot about them. They survived 'cause they were dry. So if you choose to use dampened (& squeezed out) paper towels, just don't use plastic, newspaper only OK? Then then outer box.

Thank you for all of your suggestions!

I rooted them in a potting soil/perlite mix. I was thinking about just leaving the little bit of dirt stuck to them after digging them up, since it has a little bit of moisture and skipping the paper towel. Do you think that would work?

What about sending plant cuttings (not TC) that aren't rooted? Can I just send those dry or should I wrap the end by the nodes with a damp paper towel

I want to get them sent out tomorrow so there is no chance they have to sit in a sorting center all weekend. I imagine they should get there pretty quickly. I'm sending them to Idaho from central Washington State.

Whether or not to moisten & wrap the roots depends on exactly what kind of plant it is. Sorry, impossible to answer w/out knowing the type of plant.

No sorry, I wouldn't leave moistened dirt on plants to ship, carries bacteria & who knows what else.

Sending clean & dry is your best bet.

You've asked & been told the best ways to do this, perhaps now it's best you not suggest other ways we haven't mentioned; do it as has been suggested & have the best possible results.

PG I appreciate the time you have taken to answer my questions.
"You've asked & been told the best ways to do this, perhaps now it's best you not suggest other ways we haven't mentioned; do it as has been suggested & have the best possible results."
Seriously? Haven't you ever had a thought that sounded good at the time, but wanted to ask others about it about it? If my questions are too silly or a nuisance for you, by all means no need to waste your time to answer them. Thanks again

Hi Jessie,

It's neither too silly, nor a nuisance. I understood you to say you wanted to send them THE NEXT DAY, so time was running short is all I meant. You are of course, always free to proceed exactly as you wish. You're welcome.